Some listeners have started to join our Discord – why don’t you do that do!

In the news today:

• TURKEY: Turkey revokes radio station’s license for discussing Armenian genocide
• UK: Ultra-processed food fear – simply the next big nutritional moral panic?
• SPAIN: HIV patients often take other SCAM that interfere with their treatments

The Church of England has plans to evangelising in UK schools – even the secular ones! For that the receive this week’s award for being Really Wrong. To round off we have a Word of the Week and find out the meaning of ‘Lèse-majesté‘.

Enjoy!

0:00:27 Intro

0:00:52 Greetings

0:08:52 News

0:28:26 Really Wrong

0:32:47 Word of the Week

0:41:11 Quote and Farewell

0:42:56 Outro

0:44:11 Outtakes

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To start out we nerd out a bit about how to say ‘hello’ in Hungarian, launch the new ESP Discord thread and give a shout-out to Malmö Pride where people can team up with Pontus to fight against prejudices at Malmö Pride. In TWISH we for once hop across the pond to explain the origin of so-called Barnum statements. Then it’s time for the news:

• EU: University of Lund withdraws research application after AI generated references
• INTERNATIONAL: Lie-detection AI could provoke people into making careless accusations, researchers warn
• SWEDEN: New law criminalizes Holocaust denial

Enjoy!

Segments:

0:00:27 Intro

0:00:52 Greetings

0:07:19 TWISH

0:15:23 News

0:37:19 Quote And Farewell

0:39:46 Outro

0:41:01 Outtakes

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The band is back together for the first time in months! First we mention an important (but likely depressing) new book documenting Catholic child sex abuse. In TWISH we look back at the Brexit referendum and analyze why it went so terribly wrong, and then it’s time for the news:

• SWEDEN: Swedish EU election trends were a bit different
• GERMANY: New publication out on esotericism in in political education
• UK: There will not be 14 million immigrants over the next 12 years
• UK: King Charles III honours medical team with ties to alternative medicine
• INTERNATIONAL: Will this disclaimer help against AI learning from your data?
• INTERNATIONAL: Questionable research: Do Tattoos increase the risk of cancer?

A Really Right Award goes to the Welsh Senedd (parliament) for their ambition to stop politicians from lying.

Enjoy!

Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; News; Really Right; Quote and Farewell; Outro; Outtakes

0:00:27 Intro

0:00:53 Greetings

0:06:40 TWISH

0:20:27 News

0:46:23 Really Right

0:51:07 Quote And Farewell

0:52:14 Outro

0:53:29 Outtakes

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Annika and András talk a bit about the EP elections again, mostly reacting to listener feedback. We also mention the Belgian skeptical organisation SKEPP's Skeptical Awards and in TWISH we commemorate evolutionary biologist, humanist, eugenicist and internationalist extraordinaire Sir Julian Huxley. Then in the news:

• SCOTLAND: Parliament votes to implement abortion safe access zones
• INTERNATIONAL: How to help health care professionals on the forefront of vaccinations?

The Welsh educational institution Llanidoes High School gets this week's Really Wrong award for teaching creationismas science.

We also bring you a Word of the Week, which is the Hungarian expression "Lóvá tesz".

Enjoy!

Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; News; Really Wrong; Word of the Week; Quote and Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes

0:00:25 INTRO

0:00:51 GREETINGS

0:09:12 TWISH - THIS WEEK IN SKEPTICAL HISTORY

0:16:43 NEWS

0:23:16 REALLY WRONG

0:27:04 WORD OF THE WEEK

0:33:14 QUOTE AND FAREWELL

0:35:18 OUTRO

0:36:33 OUT-TAKES

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Pontus' absence we talk a bit about EP elections and in TWISH we commemorate the Italian heroine of science and skepticism Margherita Hack. Then it is time to check out the news:

• UK: Zero hour for climate action
• NORTHERN IRELAND: NI Assembly passes motion to ban conversion therapies
• INTERNATIONAL: Edzard Ernst finds SCAM research to be in decline
• INTERNATIONAL: Intervention against misinformation might increase skepticism... against reliable sources, too

The German Jury of Rimowa Design Price, who awarded a product that is based on nonsense, gets this week's award for being Really Wrong.

Enjoy!

Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; News; Really Wrong; Quote and Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes

0:00:25 INTRO

0:00:51 GREETINGS

0:04:21 TWISH - THIS WEEK IN SKEPTICAL HISTORY

0:14:38 NEWS

0:30:02 REALLY WRONG

0:32:05 QUOTE AND FAREWELL

0:33:37 OUTRO

0:34:52 OUT-TAKES

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pontus comes back from the European Skeptics Congress with a new title, applications to talk at Skepticamp QED is now open and Evidence Week is postponed by UK elections. In TWISH we hear about James Hutton, the father of modern geology, and then it is time to check out the news:

• INTERNATIONAL: The Catholic church’s first ‘millennial saint’
• INTERNATIONAL: Edzard Ernst did it again
• INTERNATIONAL: ‘Foolproof’ gives us vaccination without needles
• INTERNATIONAL: Fact Brief by Skeptical Science – Have climate models estimated warming correctly?

The country of Georgia is going full Putin with the new law targeting the LGBTQ community and for that they receive this week’s award for being Really Wrong.

Enjoy!

Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; News; Really Wrong; Quote and Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes

https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-430.html

0:00:27 Intro

0:00:52 Greetings

0:13:17 TWISH

0:26:32 News

0:42:01 Really Wrong

0:45:54 Quote And Farewell

0:48:32 Outro

0:49:47 Out-Takes

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We start with some listener feedback and also worry if Neil DeGrasse Tyson and his Star Talk show are falling for some alternative medicine. On the good side Skeptical Science, led by John Cook, is continuing their quest for science literacy and has a new online quiz you can take to check your “bullshit detector”. In TWISH we hear about the trial against Joan of Arc in 1431. Then we turn to the news:

• SWEDEN: How the Karolinska protected Paolo Macchiarini — and whistleblowers paid the price
• UK: People with Long Covid scammed by fake therapy
• INTERNATIONAL: Misleading claims on well-known rare risk of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine
• GERMANY: Michael Schumacher’s family wins law case against publisher running deepfake interview

The Telegraph and the Independent spout antivaxx disinformation and for that get this week’s award for being Really Wrong.

Enjoy!

Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; News; Really Wrong; Quote and Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes

0:00:27 Intro

0:00:50 Greetings

0:14:03 TWISH

0:23:47 News

0:43:03 Really Wrong

0:46:18 Quote And Farewell

0:50:33 Outro

0:51:48 Out-Takes

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Pontus' absence Annika is back for a quick visit before her planned return next month. We mention the terrible assassination attempt against Slovakian prime minister Robert Fico and how it's a new source of fake news. On TWISH you can hear about Franz Anton Mesmer, who was the foremost proponent of "animal magnetism". Then, we look at the news:

• GERMANY: GWUP has a new leadership - Congratulations!
• VATICAN CITY: The Inquisition introducing new rules for the assessment of potentially "Supernatural Phenomena"
• SCOTLAND: According to 2022 census released recently, majority of people not affiliated with any religions.

Enjoy!

Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; News; Quote and Farewell; Outro

00:00:25Intro

00:00:51Greetings

00:09:05TWISH

00:17:20News

00:30:11Quote & Farewell

00:33:50Outro

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Meeting up with fellow skeptics is always a blast. We recommend reading the recent article in Skeptic UK about the history of European skepticism and ECSO – the ESC (European Skeptics Congress) is only two weeks away! Pontus reports from last week’s annual meeting with VoF (the Swedish Skeptics) and in TWISH we hear about Pierre Curie who, apart from being a brilliant scientist also was intrigued by spiritualism. Then, it’s time for the news:

• SWEDEN: Fake news during Eurovision Song Contest
• GERMANY: German Medical Association wants to ban homeopathy
• SWEDEN: SD and the troll factory
• UK: Whooping cough surging

Tadusz Wojda is the head of the Catholic Church in Poland, and he proves again that the Church has no morals. For that, he receives this week’s award for being Really Wrong.

Enjoy!

Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; News; Really Wrong; Quote and Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes

0:00:27 Intro

0:00:51 Greetings

0:12:55 TWISH

0:20:15 News

0:37:46 Really Wrong

0:42:17 Quote And Farewell

0:44:04 Outro

0:45:19 Out-Takes

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tickets for QED in Manchester (19-20 October) are now on sale and don’t forget Skepticamp on the day before! If all goes to plan, both András and Pontus may be among the speakers. But first we are looking forward to the European Skeptics Congress 2024, less than a month from now, 31 May – 2 June in Lyon, France! In TWISH we hear about how smallpox was announced eradicated this week in 1980 and then we take a look at the news:

• INTERNATIONAL: Big data reveals true climate impact of worldwide air travel
• SWEDEN: Swedish Skeptics’ awards for 2023
• INTERNATIONAL: Scottish Medical Journal retracts 13 papers due to concerns over potential paper mill activity
• FRANCE / INTERNATIONAL: Didier Raoult vs. Elisabeth Bik – case dismissed!

The Really Wrong Award goes to the UK for two cases of educational malpractice regarding allowing religious indoctrination.

Enjoy!

Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; News; Really Wrong; Quote and Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes

Show notes: https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-426.html

0:00:27 Intro

0:00:51 Greetings

0:07:02 TWISH

0:15:16 News

0:37:39 Really Wrong

0:41:56 Quote And Farewell

0:44:57 Outro

0:46:12 Out-Takes

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.